Enduring luminescence

Phosphorescent set to release new CD

Posted: Thursday, April 28, 2005

By Kenneth AguarCorrespondent

According to Webster, the definition of "phosphorescence" is: (1) "luminescence that is caused by the absorption of radiation at one wavelength, followed by delayed reradiation at a different wavelength, and that continues for a noticeable time after the incident radiation stops" and (2) "an enduring luminescence without sensible heat."

The definition of "phosphorescent," then, is "exhibiting phosphorescence."

In the case of Mathew Houck (pronounced "Howk"), the luminescence burns brightly from within the soul. Two critically acclaimed albums - "A Hundred Times Or More" (2002) and "The Weight Of Flight" (2004), both released on Athens-based WARM recording label - preceded his latest masterpiece "Aw Come Aw Wry," to be released June 7 on the MISRA label. On Tuesday, a CD release party at Caledonia will see the band performing "Aw Come Aw Wry" in its entirety, from start to finish. It'll also be fans' only chance to hear them locally for some time, as they'll be touring this summer.

"Aw Come Aw Wry" is a thematic song cycle with a decidedly gospel and free-spirited vibe.

"It kind of just happened like that," Houck says. "That was definitely a conscious thing, having a lot of singers going. I like that an awful lot, really, sort of a choir singing."

The singing, he adds, was inspired by a Christmas mass he unexpectedly attended on Christmas eve.

"I was actually seeing if anybody else was at the bar on Christmas Eve, but it was after midnight and they were all closed or whatever. But there were all these cars there, you know? People were attending the Catholic Mass that happens on the corner across from the GO Bar on Prince Avenue (St. Joseph's Catholic Church). So I went in there to this midnight mass and it was totally amazing. The religious stuff was not moving in any way, but when everybody was singing ... I hadn't thought about that until just now (the inspiration of it all), actually, but I've always loved choirs a lot. Just to clarify that, it's hugely not a religious concept (album), at least not in that way."

The 26-year-old Houck grew up in Alabama, dropped out of college at age 18, left home and began playing bars and coffee shops around the country. He crossed paths with a booking agent from the United Kingdom while he was in Austin, Texas. A month later, the booking agent contacted him to arrange a series of dates to perform overseas. After he returned to the United States, he settled here in Athens and formed Phosphorescent.

Some of the people included in this cast of musicians are Nick Canada, Laura Carter, Margaret Child, Jesse Flavin, Brent Jones, Rob Lomax and Daniel Rickard. There also are some special appearances by Carolyn Berk, Andrew Reiger, Liz Durrett and a few others. All other sounds - voice, guitar, piano, pump organ, drums, bass, bottles, wash tub, xylophone, walkie-talkie, harmonica, ukulele and drum box - were produced by Houck himself during the recording session.

"There are certain sorts of mediums that you are allowed," Houck says. "I usually feel all right playing live. I'm never nervous. Doing this interview is far more nerve-wracking! It's sort of back to about how these (songs), when they are getting written the way they have been, there's a certain kind of feeling that happens. And, personally, I kind of have to shut that feeling down in order to be around people and to work and earn money and just live. ... There seems to be a whole big separation. When playing, you can always go back to that place. You don't have to talk."

The closing track on the new album, "Nowhere Rd., Georgia, Feb. 21, 2005," seems to sum things up the best. "It was at noon," Houck says of the song. "There was this insane thunderstorm ... and it was really sunny but there was this horrible thunder, like house-shaking thunder. And the birds were still chirping and flying around. And it was just amazing."